After underwhelming offensively against Team USA, Canada made a statement against Finland with an early and unrelenting onslaught.
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen was the unfortunate soul caught in the crossfire.
Canada managed just one goal against Connor Hellebuyck and the United States, a solo effort from Connor McDavid. That's how it started against Lankinen and Finland as well. Four minutes into the game, McDavid picked off a pass from Roope Hintz at the Finnish blue line, found some space with a cutback on Nikolas Matinpalo, and ripped a wrist shot past Lankinen's glove, off the post, and in.
46 seconds later, Nathan MacKinnon made it 2-0 Canada. Brandon Hagel won a battle in the neutral zone and Patrik Laine went for a line change instead of skating on the backcheck. That allowed Sam Reinhart to send MacKinnon in alone and he snapped the puck past Lankinen's blocker.
There wasn't much Lankinen could have done on either goal. It could be argued that he could have come out further from the net to cut off the angle, but each time McDavid and MacKinnon had a passing option of which Lankinen had to be wary or risk giving up an open-net tap-in goal.
Canada continued their relentless attack, outshooting Finland 11-to-5 in the first period, with the majority of their shots coming on quality scoring chances with few shots from the outside. Lankinen was busy and made some quality saves, but there was only so much he could do.
Brayden Point made it 3-0 Canada off the rush by tucking in a rebound after Lankinen made the initial save on Travis Sanheim. Laine stopped skating on the backcheck, allowing Point to get inside position to be first to the puck.
Then, early in the second period, the Cole Harbour connection came through to make it 4-0 Canada.
Sidney Crosby crashed in on the forecheck to free up the puck, Reinhart poked it back to him, and Crosby set up MacKinnon from below the goal line for the quick finish to make it 4-0.
That was the end of Lankinen's night. While he wasn't at fault on any of the goals, four goals against on 13 shots would get most goaltenders the hook, especially in a do-or-die game in a short international tournament.
Juuse Saros came in and stopped all 14 shots he faced, though fewer of those shots were grade-A scoring chances as Canada settled in to defend their 4-0 lead.
That 4-0 lead held until late in the third period, when Esa Lindell echoed McDavid's opening goal with a perfectly placed shot past Jordan Binnington's blocker, off the post, and in. For a moment, it seemed like a consolation goal for Finland, but then a frantic final two minutes gave Canada a scare.
With Saros pulled for the extra attacker, Laine partially made up for his earlier miscues by first creating a wild scramble with a one-timer, then setting up Mikael Granlund in the slot to beat Binnington through the five-hole.
Then, 23 seconds later, it was Granlund again. Mikko Rantanen made a strong play on the boards to poke the puck down to Sebastian Aho and he set up Aleksander Barkov at the side of the net. Instead of a quick shot, Barkov made the extra pass to Granlund in the slot and he went top corner over Binnington's blocker.
The two quick goals drew Finland within one with just over a minute remaining.
With a spot in the championship game against Team USA on the line, Crosby came up clutch to seal the game. As Finland moved up ice and Saros rushed to the bench for the extra attacker, Crosby ran over Granlund in the neutral zone to create a turnover. Reinhart chipped the loose puck back to Crosby and he golfed it into the empty net.
The goal secured a 5-3 win for Canada as well as their spot in the championship game, officially eliminating both Finland and Sweden. That means the sole Canuck heading to the championship of the 4 Nations Face-Off will be behind the bench, as Canucks' head coach Rick Tocchet is an assistant coach for Team Canada.
That also means Sweden will be playing solely for national pride as they take on the U.S. in the final game of the round robin stage in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Canucks fans, of course, will be keeping a close eye on that game as it will be the first time former teammates Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller will face each other since Miller was traded to the New York Rangers.
